from east to west, finding balance in the space between.

Growing up, my dad was an entrepreneur. He built several businesses, starting from scratch again and again without hesitation. His cycle was to climb a ladder, only to jump right off, and climb up all over again. Once I asked him why he didn’t get to the top of the ladder and just relax there for awhile… he said, “Because I don’t climb to get to the top – I climb to feel the resistance.” In other words, it’s the feeling of the climb itself, the challenge, effort and reward in doing something hard with nothing propelling you forward but yourself, that he was after.

We LOVE Hawaii (I mean, does anyone not love Hawaii?). Especially from LA, it’s such a logistically easy trip. Direct flight, and you are still in America, so no hassles with phones, currency, or customs. Book the flight, the AirBnB, and the rental car – and that’s it, trip planned! Below are the highlights from our recent trip in case Maui is on the horizon for you.

It’s hard to believe, but a year and a half has passed since the beginning of my “unplanned year” experiment.

To recap, despite having an amazing job, one that I had been dreaming about and working towards for years, I felt compelled to make a big change. I wanted to press pause on my life – to intentionally create space, and see what would come of it. I honestly didn’t know what the end result would be. Had I been asked to bet on it, my money would have been on me returning to teaching with a deeper appreciation for the stability it provides; I have been so surprised by what has emerged instead.

I have come across so many wonderful books this year. The bolded books are my top 10 (and within each category, I’ve listed the books in order of how much I enjoyed them, with my favorites at the top). Happy reading!

‘Tis the season! If you know me well, you know that being cozy is one of my top priorities. Especially given the tough week we’ve had in LA, I really needed to slow down and focus on what makes me feel calm. The below list is comprised of the things that help me get into the coziest of moods. Enjoy!

This past year, I have been opening my heart and practicing more vulnerability in the hopes that living more exposed, is living more freely. So, with that vulnerability, I want to share something I’ve struggled with for many years.